Easter Weekend Weather: Gales And Heavy Rain To Lash The UK

Gales and heavy rain will lash much of the UK over a "changeable" Easter weekend, according to forecasters.

Severe weather warnings for high winds have been issued by the Met Office, which warned of gusts of up to 65mph on Saturday, PA reports.

Good Friday will bring the best of the weather, being mostly dry with sunny spells across the UK and temperatures in the south reaching around 15C.

But a band of rain will sweep east to west across the country on Saturday along with winds of around 55mph inland, rising to 65mph in coastal areas.

The Met Office's yellow be aware warning, which covers most of England and Wales but not Scotland and Northern Ireland, also advises the estimated six million people expected to travel over the weekend to be aware of possible disruption to their journeys.

"The largest rainfall totals on Saturday are expected over north-western areas. Here we're likely to see 20 to 40mm widely and perhaps as much as 50mm in exposed sites."

Egg hunts and events on Easter Sunday could be hit by "blustery showers", starting in the north and arriving in the South West later in the day, while northern areas could even see hail and thunderstorms.

But a Met Office spokeswoman added: "Most people should see the sun at some point on Easter Sunday."

Monday is forecast to be "very, very unsettled" and high winds will begin in the South West and sweep north and east across southern England, with the south coast and South East facing severe gales.

Much of the north of the country will be calmer though, with lighter winds and sparse showers interrupting the bright spells.

Of the weekend weather, the spokeswoman said: "It's changeable but there is some sunshine - it's not all gloom."

Patricia Yates, VisitEngland's director of strategy and communications, said as many as six million people plan to take an overnight trip in the UK over the Easter weekend.